The N-H-S Staff Census
http://www.article-book.com/articles/5981/1/The-N-H-S-Staff-Census/Page1.html
Terry Goadsby
Terry Goadsby is a freelance author writes articles on doctors' jobs and medical locum agency. For more information on locum jobs for doctors and locum agency he recommends you to visit http://www.nhs-locum-doctor-jobs.com By Terry Goadsby
Published on 04/19/2010
The NHS census offers a vital insight into the NHS workforce and this year points to more professionally-qualified clinical staff working within the health service. The article shows an increased demand in a last minute service provided by NHS Locum doctors.
The N-H-S Staff Census
The results of 1999 – 2009 NHS staff census were published on the 25th March 2010. The census covers NHS hospitals, and provides some information on locum jobs for doctors
Doctors employed by the NHS and shows that the total NHS staff numbers reached 1,432,000 in 2009 showing a steady increase in the number of staff working in the NHS helping to bring about more improvements to patient care. The NHS census offers a vital insight into the NHS workforce and this year points to more professionally-qualified clinical staff working within the health service.
The most recent figures show that between September 2004 and September 2005 the NHS workforce increased by 34,301 (32,586 Full Time Equivalent). This includes an extra 5,309 NHS doctors, 6,646 extra NHS nurses and 2,123 extra allied health professionals.
These figures mean that there have been:
There has been a substantial year on year growth through most medical specialities and sub specialities. Due to the governments cancer pledge the number of oncologists has risen by over 2.6% in the last year. The exponential population growth in London over the past ten years has affected the amount of NHS Locum doctors required by London hospitals.
The increase in the number of qualified medical professionals employed by the NHS has meant that there has been an annual increase in the quality of patient care proven by the recent NHS hospital appraisals.
The NHS will continue to spend money on Locum Doctor due to an increased demand in a last minute service. There has been a dramatic increase in the need for locum staff within NHS hospitals across a broad range of specialties, some of which include Paediatric, Oncological and Surgical care. Many hospitals have considered reducing the amount of money spent on UK locum vacancies and this is due to the rate of sickness and absence among current working doctors.
As an example, between April 2009 and January 2010 Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spent £9.43 million on locum agency medical and nursing staff. There is now an increased pressure on NHS Trusts to manage their temporary staffing requirements effectively. National Shortages are also a large contributing factor when it comes to the number of Locum Doctors available vs. the increasing number of positions that become unfilled. Locums provide a ready means for NHS Hospitals fill positions that are either temporarily empty (Due to a number of factors such as sickness and annual leave) or for which long term funding is no longer available to fill the positions permanently.
Many NHS trusts would be in serious difficulties today if it were not for the availability and deployment of those looking for locum doctor jobs. Recruitment and retention problems, increasing workloads and low morale over recent years have all conspired to see many laboratories struggling to cope. NHS Locum vacancies are mainly created to fill the requirements of the European Working Time Directive, but many hospitals are now saying long-term locum positions are not the ideal solution at all. Many hospitals are now looking abroad to bring in doctors from overseas to fill vacancies with different skill sets. The use of locum and agency staff exceeds the number of UK locum vacancies in elderly care, stroke, and general surgery and in diabetes, renal, urology and general medicine. Other challenges faced by the trust have been identified as gaps in junior doctor cover, consultant leave and the need to find cover for staff who are ill.
Staff sickness costs hospital bosses £10 million a year but they also have to spend about £750,000 a month on top of that figure to pay for locum and agency staff. Locum doctors become a greater resource for medical staffing simply because there are more and more locum doctors becoming available each year. While the gross number of permanent candidates will start to decline due to retirement and ever changing life style choices, the net number of locum doctor becoming available will increase year on year. This is a mix of the newly qualified doctors and those coming from abroad.
About the author: Terry Goadsby is a freelance author writes articles on doctors' jobs and medical locum agency. For more information on locum jobs for doctors and locum agency he recommends you to visit http://www.nhs-locum-doctor-jobs.com
Doctors employed by the NHS and shows that the total NHS staff numbers reached 1,432,000 in 2009 showing a steady increase in the number of staff working in the NHS helping to bring about more improvements to patient care. The NHS census offers a vital insight into the NHS workforce and this year points to more professionally-qualified clinical staff working within the health service.
The most recent figures show that between September 2004 and September 2005 the NHS workforce increased by 34,301 (32,586 Full Time Equivalent). This includes an extra 5,309 NHS doctors, 6,646 extra NHS nurses and 2,123 extra allied health professionals.
These figures mean that there have been:
- 85,305 (65,444 FTE) more nurses
- 10,519 more consultants
- 16,060 more Allied Health Professionals working in the NHS
- more doctors than ever before – a total of 127,645 and an increase of 2,033 (1.6 per cent) since 2006
There has been a substantial year on year growth through most medical specialities and sub specialities. Due to the governments cancer pledge the number of oncologists has risen by over 2.6% in the last year. The exponential population growth in London over the past ten years has affected the amount of NHS Locum doctors required by London hospitals.
The increase in the number of qualified medical professionals employed by the NHS has meant that there has been an annual increase in the quality of patient care proven by the recent NHS hospital appraisals.
The NHS will continue to spend money on Locum Doctor due to an increased demand in a last minute service. There has been a dramatic increase in the need for locum staff within NHS hospitals across a broad range of specialties, some of which include Paediatric, Oncological and Surgical care. Many hospitals have considered reducing the amount of money spent on UK locum vacancies and this is due to the rate of sickness and absence among current working doctors.
As an example, between April 2009 and January 2010 Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spent £9.43 million on locum agency medical and nursing staff. There is now an increased pressure on NHS Trusts to manage their temporary staffing requirements effectively. National Shortages are also a large contributing factor when it comes to the number of Locum Doctors available vs. the increasing number of positions that become unfilled. Locums provide a ready means for NHS Hospitals fill positions that are either temporarily empty (Due to a number of factors such as sickness and annual leave) or for which long term funding is no longer available to fill the positions permanently.
Many NHS trusts would be in serious difficulties today if it were not for the availability and deployment of those looking for locum doctor jobs. Recruitment and retention problems, increasing workloads and low morale over recent years have all conspired to see many laboratories struggling to cope. NHS Locum vacancies are mainly created to fill the requirements of the European Working Time Directive, but many hospitals are now saying long-term locum positions are not the ideal solution at all. Many hospitals are now looking abroad to bring in doctors from overseas to fill vacancies with different skill sets. The use of locum and agency staff exceeds the number of UK locum vacancies in elderly care, stroke, and general surgery and in diabetes, renal, urology and general medicine. Other challenges faced by the trust have been identified as gaps in junior doctor cover, consultant leave and the need to find cover for staff who are ill.
Staff sickness costs hospital bosses £10 million a year but they also have to spend about £750,000 a month on top of that figure to pay for locum and agency staff. Locum doctors become a greater resource for medical staffing simply because there are more and more locum doctors becoming available each year. While the gross number of permanent candidates will start to decline due to retirement and ever changing life style choices, the net number of locum doctor becoming available will increase year on year. This is a mix of the newly qualified doctors and those coming from abroad.
About the author: Terry Goadsby is a freelance author writes articles on doctors' jobs and medical locum agency. For more information on locum jobs for doctors and locum agency he recommends you to visit http://www.nhs-locum-doctor-jobs.com